Drawing a Line...

A selection of past blogs
that cover 'all this'.

Looking back over this blog since March, it seems I've written about 'the current state of the world' eleven times. Eleven! Blimey, I'm sorry. I usually try to mix things up more than that. Some weeks it's a book update, others it's a pithy look at a news item, and then there are those weeks when I just throw in a recipe. (AKA 'busy as frig' or 'can't be arsed' weeks.) Yet since March 16th when I wrote about the pointlessness of panic buying loo roll, the current state of things or 'all this' - as I stretch open my arms as if to capture the global mood - has been a theme that will not go away.

Image from this website.
It's well worth a watch.

Instead of seeing this turn of events as a dull slide into predictable bloggery, I'm going to focus on the main positive to take from all of this  It appears, to my mind at least, that I've become a modern day Dickens; a chronicler of our turbulent times. That Cummings character could be lifted right from the pages of his work, up there with Uriah Heep (very 'umble man of the people) or Seth Pecksniff (a big fat hypocrite.) You KNOW I am right. By being a bit one-note for a couple of months, I have inadvertently taken my place among the greats. A grave at Poet's Corner awaits me. Armando Iannucci will direct my words at a later date. (Side bar: His David Copperfield that's just dropped on the streaming services, is marvellous.) 

So, as a self-appointed voice of a generation. As someone that has her finger on the pulse of the country, as a woman who has... What? Get on with it? Oh. OK then. All I was going to say was, it's time to bring that particular theme to a close. Not because Coronavirus is over. Lolz. Obviously not. Despite the mixed messaging from senior politicians and health advisors, it's still very much a thing. But, so is the economy, and that's why theme parks are opening. And museums and cinemas. Not theatres or open air swimming pools though, because... no, not sure about that one. But there we are. It's been announced. July 4th - in England at least - will herald some sort of freedom from what we've had so far. It's also the day you have to start giving your contact details in at the pub, which doesn't sound very freeing at all. Hey ho. But with some aspects of society returning to normalish, lots of people are now acting normalish. It feels like 'all this' is coming to an end.

People acting normalish last week.
Image taken from this news story.

Whether that's true or not, only time will tell. From my own perspective, very little has changed. As much as I miss a proper pint, I can't see I'll be one of the thousands that head to the pub come Saturday. I'm not that keen on handing over my data these days. Likewise, as much as I know some restaurants are hoping to be open, I am in no rush to be the first through the door. It seems so counter-intuitive to everything that's happened so far. My own cancelled plans from the past months have included several theatre tickets, a holiday and a wedding. Most of those events have been rescheduled for next year. I'll feel back to normal when I'm able to enjoy all 2020's postponements in 2021.

So, to wrap up the last fourteen weeks of unprecedented doom-laden times, let's look at the positives. What changes have I made during lockdown, that I will carry forward into the future. It's not all been bad news. 

1. Food Shopping. I'm going to stick with a weekly food shop, rather than three or four mini grocery runs. It's made me be more organised about what's already in the cupboards and has helped keep waste to a minimum. 

2. More Chatting. I mean, obviously I prefer a face to face convo rather than a stream of messages, and heaven forbid having to actually answer my phone. What is it, the nineties? But Zooms, Houseparties, and Teams have meant I've had more contact with more people than usual. Granted, once we can all get out and about again, the necessity for this will stop. But having a fortnightly natter with my college friends that I only really spoke to en masse about once a year before 'all this', has been a lovely thing.

3. Garden Parties. Now look. We all know I hate the garden. Bloody hay fever and the potential of skin cancer at every sun-kissed turn. But, being blessed (grrr, pollen) with a large space outside the back of the house has been useful. Since we were told we could, I've had a couple of small gatherings out the back. One weekend assorted siblings and their kids came round. Another time, my college friends (those from the fortnightly chat) rocked up. Hosting an event in germ-ridden times is the easiest thing in the world. A fresh hand towel in the loo, hand sanitsier dotted about, and a pack of anti bacterial wipes for anyone that needs them. That's about it really. Easy. No clean up afterwards, either. It's all about the space these days, not the food, drink, or entertainment. None of that's expected right now and that's fine by me. I'm happy to host such low-level events long after the germs have gone.

Just like Malibu Ken,
except it's LA Nicky.

4. Blonde Bond. Yep, I'm keeping the bleach, for the time being at least. What started out as initial lockdown madness, has grown on me. A friend I chatted to recently told me I looked like the LA version of me. Despite this being hysterical, I will take it, no worries. 

So, there we are. Whilst COVID is still very much a thing, and a second wave seems more than likely, we've come to a crossroads in the pandemic's vibe. Whether you've flocked to a beach and will queue for the pub, or whether you're gingerly exploring your carefully selected bubble, let's hope we're all as sane and safe as possible. Meanwhile, I look forward to the eventual dramatisation of these times. We need a Quiz-style mini-series that will entertain as well as leave us slack-jawed with the stupidity of it all. Ah, but look at that, over the horizon. It's a-coming! According to Friday's Independent, there's a film in the works. Well that's something we can all look forward to, as the world resets itself. The only question now is whether Michael Sheen can pull off Boris Johnson, so to speak.

Have a lovely week, folks.